American Ballet Theatre Opens SYLVIA Tonight

Casting for the final two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House has been announced by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The season's first performance of Sir Frederick Ashton's Sylvia will be given tonight, June 24, led by Gillian Murphy (Sylvia), Marcelo Gomes (Aminta), Daniil Simkin (Eros) and Cory Stearns (Orion).

Polina Semionova will dance the title role for the first time with ABT on Tuesday, June 25, opposite Roberto Bolle as Aminta. The matinee on Wednesday, June 26 will feature debuts by Veronika Part (Sylvia), Cory Stearns (Aminta) and James Whiteside (Orion). JarEd Matthews will dance the role of the Aminta for the first time at the evening performance on June 26, opposite Paloma Herrera in the title role. On Thursday, June 27, the ballet will include debuts by Natalia Osipova (Sylvia), Herman Cornejo (Aminta) and Ivan Vasiliev (Orion).

A ballet in three acts, Sylvia is set to music by Léo Delibes and features costumes and scenery after original designs by Robin and Christopher Ironside. Additional designs for the revival of Sylvia are by Peter Farmer and lighting is by Mark Jonathan.

The World Premiere of the original production of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet on September 3, 1952 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, danced by Margot Fonteyn (Sylvia), Michael Somes (Aminta), John Hart (Orion) and Alexander Grant (Eros). The World Premiere of the revival of Sylvia by was given by The Royal Ballet on November 4, 2004 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, danced by Darcey Bussell (Sylvia), Jonathan Cope (Aminta), Thiago Soares (Orion) and Martin Harvey (Eros). Sylvia received its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York on June 3, 2005, danced by Gillian Murphy (Sylvia), Maxim Beloserkovsky (Aminta), Marcelo Gomes (Orion) and Herman Cornejo (Eros). The ballet was staged for ABT by Christopher Newton. Sylvia is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.